Full opening lighter



Oct. 12, 1943. A. s. WESTON 2,331,445

a I FULL OPENING LIGHTER Filed April 3. 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 sn 3% 52/ 5i I a f/q j.

71 3g 9 55 r M H W n 5 3o 31 w m 'I l la; Z1 0: k 25% 4 2 IN V EN TOR.

Oct. 12, 1943. A. s. WESTON FULL ornnme LIGHTER Filed April 3, 1942 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 41 m NDE/fS 731mm, BY $4,, a I l7 1'; afar/1 e].

Patented Oct. 12, 1943 UNITED] STATES: m

FULL OPENING LIGHTER. Alexander Sydney Weston, New york, Application April 3, 1942, Serial'No.-437,536

' lClaim. (oll (a -n i This invention relates. to lighters for cigars, cigarettes, and pipes, and has 'for itsniain object to provide a device of this type'Which'normaHy will be closed and the flame thereof extinguished, aslusual, but which may opeirto permit the-production of a flame thereonfand the flame extinguishing member thereof being adapted to be opened more conveniently than with, lighters 'used hereinbefore tosuch an extent, that the flame produced may be more conveniently? 'ap; plied to a cigar, or cigarette, andparticularly'to a pipe.

Another object of this invention isto provide a device as characterized hereinbefore, whichwill be convenient and eflicient to operate, to'flllly open, to light, or toclose and extinguish the same with one hand, and which nevertheless will be quite inexpensive to manufacturejand easy and quick to assemble; f

Still a further, object of my invention is to provide a cigar, cigarette,'and pipe lighter of the character indicated herei'nbefore, the most important parts'of'which, may be made by simple stamping, swaging, or cutting die operations eliminating the expensive screw machine or similar parts heretofore used in: similar lighters,

Still further objects of. this" invention will be apparent as the specification of thesame proceeds, and among others, I may mentionfto provide a device of the characterdescribed, which will be easy and quick to operate; or to put in an extinguished inoperative position,'.and.which will have high-class wearing qualities and will be durable and reliable in use. v In the drawings 'forminga part of this specie fication and accompanying the same:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational View of my novel lighter; p Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view thereof; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same, all the menassembled and in aclosed inoperative position, while I Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation thereof showing the same in an open operative position;

Referring now to the drawings-morein'detail, the numeral indicates the main housing of my device, being preferably madeof sheet metal and of the elongated flat oval shape shown in' the drawings. an upper cap or cover 2| is secured atthe on e' end of the housing 20, and a lower cap orbottom is secured at the other end by any appropriate means,- asby having the respective flanges a and 22a; thereof, soldered 'on the-housing 20.

As it is Well known in this art, the housing '20 maybe filled by a cotton or other absorbent material 23 which is charged with the flame-producingfluid', like benzene, and a wick 24 isplaced into said housing curling within the'cottonso as to conduct the liquid therein by capillary action'upwardly to the flameproducingend 24a of said wick which is protrudingthrough a. small tube-25in the cover 2|.

The'bottom 23 may have aninwardlyturned screw threaded tube portion 26, into which is screwed ar-closing plug 21, so that the device may be replenished or' filled with the combustible fluid through said tube Edwhen the plug. 2 is removed; I 1. Aspark tube 28 is secured on the cover 2|,

said tube-being formed of the sheetimetal blank 29, shown'in' Fig. 5, the centralportion 29a of 'saidblank being formed into the tube proper 30 by bending the same in an appropriate manner, until thedotted lines a, 39a meet the two side extensions 3! and 32 .of the blank beingthen ,40 tioned three views showing my device as fully Fig. 5 shows a blank usedfto form the spark tube, and e I Figs. 6, 6a, and 7 are longitudinal and transverse sectional views, respectively, of the assem bled spark tube; y I Hg Figs. 8 and'9 are front and plan views of the arm stud used in my device, and

Figs. 10 and 11 are a plan View and a side elevational View, respectively, of the closing and opening arm for my device.

brought into close over-lapping relation and beingin such a position secured into the top or cover 2| of the device'by anyappropriate means,

as by the :teeth 3m and 32:]. passing through appropriate holes in the cover or'top 2i and then being secure therein, or the whole lower end of thelspark tube support being soldered into said Two appropriate-extensions 3!!) and 32b are also providedonthe blank 29 having apertured polygonal terminations 3lc and 32c which form .the bearings for the pin 33 of the spark producing wheel 34 as will be understood.

A flint or other spark producing material 35 is arranged in the tube- 3B being pressedagainst the knurledspark wheel 34, as by the spring, ,36, thepressure of said spring being adjusted by thescrew'fl, as usual in. such .devices. V It will be understood that the spark is produced by rotating the knurled wheel 34 in such a direction that the spark produced by its friction, on the flint 35 will be thrown against the flame producing end 24a of the wick 24, thereby igniting the fumes of the combustible fluid, as is usual in such devices.

A protective and flame extinguishing cap 38 is also arranged in my device as is usual in such cases, its outer larger portion 39 closing both over the flame producing end 24a and over the wheel 34, having a cut-out portion 40 in its wall to flt over and avoid the spark tube 30, and having an inner tube 4| by which it will close on and, extinguish the flame in the wick end 24a, as will be understood. 7

The protective and flame extinguishing cap 38 is secured at the end of a swinging pivoted or rotatable on pin 43 secured across the top portion of the arm stud 44.

A curved flat arm locking spring 45 is secured by one of its ends 46 on the cover or top 2| adjacent to the wick tube 25, its other: end' 41 being raised above the cover or top 2| to a desired distance by the curve shown in said spring 45, and engaging the. front 48- of a projection 48 at the pivoted. end of the arm 42 when. said arm is in a closed position, as indicated inFigs. 2 and- 3, and in such a position, saidspring by its pressure on the mentioned side of said pro? jection will tend tokeep the, arm 42. in its. closed downward position, indicated in said Figs. 2 and 3, and witl have a tendency to counter-act the opening of said arm into the position shown in Fig. 4, since, until the front face 48 of'said: projection willleave the end 41 of spring- 45, said spring will have a pressure thereon trying to close the arm 42' or to preventits further open.- ing and swinging: in an upward and right hand direction, as indicated by the arrow, 50 in- Fig- 4.

This tendency of said spring, 45 will be operative until the arm 42- arrives into a substantially verr tical position, its center line in, said positionbeing indicated in an imaginary manner by the dot and dash lines 42a,v and upon a further turning of said arm in a righthand direction, it will further and fully-open to a practicallyhorizontal position, indicated with dot and dash, line 42b in Fig. 4. In said position, the heel end; 5 of the arm 42, that is, the portion or its: end oppositeto the projection 49, will engagethe end 41 of the spring 45, and the pressure. of said spring now will have a tendency to keep said: arm

42 and the protective cap 38 in a fully opened horizontal position, indicated in 4;

The use and operation of: my device will' be obvious from the herein description, andit; is very similar to those of many. lighters. now in use. The main differences between my lighter and other lighters of similar type at present in use, being the improvements in elements, con,- struction and details, combinations and improved operation in my device overthem.

When it is desired to use my device, the same may be operated with one hand and it will be grasped between the forefinger; middle fingers and the thumb of, let us suppose, therig-ht hand of the user, thethumb resting for the timebeing against the right hand end 20;: of the easing or housing 20; and the fore and middle fingers resting against the left end 301) of said housing, as will be understood. Thereupon' the thumb will engage the lower endof the cap 38 and will swing the cap with its arm upwardly and rearwardly on the pivot or pin 4 3 as inarm 42.

dicated by the arrow 52, turning said cap and the arm 42 in the direction of arrow 50, until it will arrive to its fully open rearward horizontal position indicated in Fig. 4. In the last stage of such a movement, the housing 20 again may be caught by the thumb, and the arm moved to its fully open position by the aid of the forefinger.

The device being so open, the thumb may engage wheel 34, rotate it and produce the spark lighting the wick end 240;.

When it is desired to extinguish the flame and close the device, the forefinger will engzage the rear of arm 42 and cap 38 and move it forward-1y and downwardly in opposite direction to the one indicated by the arrows 50 and 52, until thecapwill be entirely closed on the wheel- 34. and tube 4| will close on the wick end 24a and extinguish the flame, as it will be understood.

I want to remark that the arm stud 44 is also made of, special novel construction, being formed of a. piece of sheet metal folded, forming a curved portion 44a in its blank having the two sides, 4% ending in rounded. upper portions 4'4c'in which are the holes 44d; for the pivot pin 43 of the arm 42. The sides 441) may also have downwardly projecting, teeth Me which will fit into appropriate openings provided in the top or cover 2 I of my device and then the arm stud secured by riveting said projections or teeth Me or by soldering, or by any other suitable methods.

The arm 42 also is of a novel improved construction, the same being made of one piece of material, preferably stamped out of sheet metal with the parts and contours shown in Figs. 10 and 11. At the one end thereof adjacent to the projection. 49, it may be provided by an aperture or hole 53 tor the pivot pin 43, and at. the other end, it may have cross projections 54'..and 55. to support and strengthen the adjacent side of the cap 38 and may have a transversely. struck, round flange portion 56 adjacent thereto with a hole 51' through which may pass a securing pin or rivet Ha for the cap 38 and. the flame extinguishing tube 4|, as also will be easily understood by those versed in this art. A vertical slot may be provided in the wall of the cap 39 to. permit the neck 56a of round flange 56 to pass through said wall.

What I claim as new, is:-

.In a lighter having. a casing with a. top of sheet material, a flint tube formed of a blank of sheet material, sai'dblank having the usual rectangular center portion for the tube proper, supporting or leg portion on each of two opposite sides of said rectangle, the side edges of said leg portions being curved gradually narrowmg to ends shorter than the respective sides of said rectangle, tWQ extensions at a third side of saidrectangle, each having a, perforated head, so that upon an appropriate bending of the blank, said rectangle will be formed into a tube, said-leg portions then being in registering relation, ears at the ends 01 said leg portions by which the same may be secured in holes in the top of the casing, and said perforated extensions being then adapted to receive the pinof a usual knurled flint disk.

ALEXANDER SYDNEY; WESTON. 

